“You aren’t marrying a maid, you are marrying a life partner,” the Supreme Court on Friday told a Karnataka man who wanted divorce on the ground of cruelty, alleging his wife did not perform household chores such as cooking, cleaning and washing.“You have to contribute in cooking, washing, etc…Today’s times are different,” a Bench of Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta told the man, who had challenged a Karnataka High Court’s order setting aside a decree of divorce granted to him by the trial court on the ground of cruelty.The Bench noted that allegations such as wife not adequately performing household chores do not necessarily amount to cruelty.The Bench – which had earlier sent the couple for mediation to find an amicable solution to the matrimonial dispute — asked them to appear before it in person on the next date of hearing as the mediation failed to yield any positive outcome.Married in 2017, the couple has an eight-year-old boy from the wedlock. The husband, who is a government schoolteacher, had initiated divorce proceedings, alleging that right from the beginning of the marriage, the attitude of his wife, who is a lecturer, was not positive and she started mistreating him. She used filthy language against him and his parents and refused to cook food for them and gave birth to their child, but did not invite him for the cradle ceremony, he alleged.Denying the husband’s allegations, the wife submitted that she went to her parents’ house for the birth of the child with the consent of her husband and in-laws. The wife submitted that she was better placed than her husband and had not demanded any maintenance/alimony so far. She added that her husband and in-laws didn’t attend the child’s cradle ceremony and demanded cash and gold from her parents and forced her to part with her salary.The family court had granted a decree of divorce to the man, however, the Karnataka High Court set aside the decree of divorce, forcing the husband to move the top court.